Mon., Aug. 03, 2015
8:20 AM
- 10:20 AM CDT*Public practice*Any practices moved inside to the Don Hutson Center due to inclement weather, poor field conditions or for any other reason will be closed to the public due to space limitations. All other practices listed are expected to be open unless listed otherwise. All outdoor practices are expected to be held on Ray Nitschke Field (across from the Resch Center). All times indicated are Central.

Tue., Aug. 04, 2015
8:20 AM
- 10:20 AM CDT*Public practice*Any practices moved inside to the Don Hutson Center due to inclement weather, poor field conditions or for any other reason will be closed to the public due to space limitations. All other practices listed are expected to be open unless listed otherwise. All outdoor practices are expected to be held on Ray Nitschke Field (across from the Resch Center). All times indicated are Central.

Packers-Colts Preseason Week 3 Dope Sheet

Two years after he co-founded the Packers with Curly Lambeau, George Calhoun began writing a piece called The Dope Sheet, which served as the official press release and game program from 1921-24.

Honoring Calhoun, the first publicity director, the Packers are running this weekly feature as their release, which is being made available to fans exclusively on Packers.com. This is an abbreviated version of the Packers-Colts Preseason Week 3 Dope Sheet. To read the full version, download the PDF by clicking here.

Here are some highlights from the Packers-Colts Preseason Week 3 Dope Sheet:

Green Bay heads to Indianapolis to take on the Colts this Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in a nationally televised contest on CBS.

This is the second straight season that the Packers and Colts have squared off on Aug. 26 in front of a national audience for the third preseason contest, when teams take a longer look at their starters.

In the 2010 preseason meeting at Lambeau Field, the Packers topped the then-defending AFC champion Colts, 59-24. The 59 points posted by Green Bay were the most by a Packers team in the preseason since they recorded a 75-0 shutout of the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Crush on Sept. 5, 1938, in Ironwood, Mich. It was also the most points scored by the Packers against any NFL opponent in a game (preseason, regular season or postseason), topping the mark set on Oct. 7, 1945, in a 57-21 win vs. Detroit.

Green Bay’s 59-point total was also the most by any team in a preseason game since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Of the Packers’ three highest point totals in the preseason since 1979, all have come during Mike McCarthy’s head-coaching tenure. In 2009, Green Bay won at Arizona, 44-37, and in 2007, the Packers topped Seattle, 48-13.

This will be the ninth preseason meeting between the two teams, with the Colts holding a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series.

The teams have not played in Indianapolis during the preseason since an Aug. 24, 1996, contest that the Colts won, 30-6. Green Bay’s last visit to Indianapolis during the regular season was on Sept. 26, 2004, a 45-31 Colts victory.

For the Packers, this will be their first visit to Lucas Oil Stadium, which opened in 2008. The stadium is also the site of Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5, 2012.

Over the past 19 preseasons, the Packers have appeared on national television at least once during 18 of those years. The lone season that Green Bay did not appear in front of a national audience over that span was in 2009.

The Packers will wrap up their preseason slate next Thursday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field, while the Colts travel to Cincinnati next Thursday to take on the Bengals in their preseason finale.

WITH THE CALL

The game will air to a national audience on CBS. Play-by-play man Ian Eagle and color analyst Phil Simms will have the call from the broadcast booth with Sam Ryan reporting from the sidelines.

In Wisconsin, CBS affiliates around the state, including WFRV (Ch. 5) in Green Bay and WDJT (Ch. 58) in Milwaukee, will carry the Friday night contest.

This will be the Packers’ first appearance on CBS during the preseason since an Aug. 15, 2003, contest at the Cleveland Browns, a 38-31 Green Bay victory.

Green Bay will make two appearances on CBS during the regular season, with home contests against Denver (Oct. 2) and Oakland (Dec. 11).

Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since 1929, heads up the 52-station Packers Radio Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) calling the action. The duo enters its 13th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network, which covers 43 markets in five states.

A HISTORY OF SUCCESS

Friday night’s matchup between the Packers and Colts will feature two of the most successful franchises in the league since the advent of free agency in 1993.

Green Bay and Indianapolis have made the most playoff playoff appearances in the league since ’93, with 13 each over that span. The franchises have combined for five Super Bowl appearances and three world titles during that period.

The Packers rank No. 3 in the NFL since ’93 with a .622 winning percentage (179-109-0) during the regular season, with the Colts checking in at No. 4 with a .604 winning percentage (174-114-0) over that span. New England (.642) and Pittsburgh (.630) are the only teams with a higher winning percentage since 1993.

Since ’93, the Packers have won 10 or more games 11 times and captured seven division crowns, while the Colts have also posted 11 seasons with 10-plus wins (current streak of nine straight) and eight division titles.

Including playoffs, Green Bay’s 25 wins over the past two seasons rank No. 3 in the NFL behind only New Orleans (27) and Indianapolis (26).

The Packers own the best home mark in the NFC since Week 15 of 2006 at 26-8 (.765), while the Colts rank No. 2 in the AFC at home over that span with a 27-7 record (.794), trailing only New England (30-3, .909).

THE DOPE ONTHIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:

Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts:

All-time regular season: 20-20-1

All-time, postseason: 1-0

All-time, in Green Bay: 7-3-0 (incl. 1965 Western Conf. Championship)

All-time, preseason: 3-5-0

Streaks: The two teams have split their last six regular-season meetings, dating back to 1988.

Having led Green Bay to the playoffs three of his five seasons in Green Bay, he joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

His .714 winning percentage (5-2) in the postseason is tied for first among active NFL head coaches, matching the mark of New England’s Bill Belichick (15-6) and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin (5-2).

One of only two coaches, along with New Orleans’ Sean Payton, to have his offense ranked in the top 10 in total yardage each of the last five seasons.

Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.

Honored as the 2007 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year and NFL Alumni Coach of the Year.

Became the first Packers coach since Lombardi to lead the team to a championship game in his second season.

JIM CALDWELL…Is in third year as the Colts’ 19th head coach.

Led the team to a 14-2 record, two playoff wins, and a Super Bowl appearance in his first season.

Became the only rookie head coach in NFL history to win his first 14 games, the second to post 14 regular-season wins overall (George Seifert, 1989), and the fifth to reach the Super Bowl.

Previously served as the Colts’ QB coach (2002-04) and as the assistant (2005-07) and associate head coach (2008) under Tony Dungy.

Also served as QB coach at Tampa Bay (2001), head coach at Wake Forest University (1993-2000) and as an assistant coach at six other colleges, beginning in 1977 at his alma mater, Iowa, where he was a four-year starter at defensive back.

THE PACKERS-COLTS SERIES

The rivalry dates back to 1953, when the Colts were in Baltimore and played the Packers twice per season from 1953-1966.

The most memorable game in that stretch came in the 1965 Western Conference Championship at Lambeau Field, won by the Packers 13-10 in overtime, the first sudden-death game in franchise history. Don Chandler’s disputed FG at the end of regulation tied the game and led the NFL to raise the uprights the following year.

The two clubs have met just four times in the last 18 years but have staged two shootouts, both in Indianapolis, in that time. On Nov. 16, 1997, the Colts prevailed 41-38 on a FG at the end of regulation, handing the Packers their last loss that season until Super Bowl XXXII, vs. Denver. Then on Sept. 26, 2004, the Colts prevailed again, 45-31, as Brett Favre and Peyton Manning combined for 753 passing yards and nine TDs.

Colts QB Peyton Manning was 21-of-42 for 229 yards and the two INTs. RB Dominic Rhodes rushed for 73 yards and two TDs.

LAST MEETING, PRESEASON

Aug. 26, 2010, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 59-24.

The Packers topped the defending AFC champions, 59-24, with the point total the highest posted by a Green Bay team in the preseason since a 75-0 win over the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Crush on Sept. 5, 1938, in Ironwood, Mich.

QB Aaron Rodgers led the No. 1 offense on three TD drives in just a half of work, connecting on 21-of-29 passes for 195 yards and three TDs. TE Jermichael Finley led the offense with six receptions for 85 yards, including a 15-yard TD grab, and Rodgers added TD passes to WRs Donald Driver and James Jones.

FB Korey Hall recovered a muffed punt in the end zone for a TD in the second quarter and WR Jason Chery added a 75-yard punt return for a score in the fourth quarter.

LOTS OF FAMILIAR FACES

General Manager Ted Thompson continued his philosophy of building through the draft in the 2011 offseason, so much of the Packers’ core remains intact once again.

Eight Packers earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2010, the most by a Green Bay team since it featured nine in 1967, and all eight of those players return for the 2011 campaign.

Green Bay welcomes the return of 21 of 22 players that started against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.

The Packers battled their way through several season-ending injuries in 2010, finishing the season with 15 players on injured reserve. The group returning from injuries includes fifth-year RB Ryan Grant, a 1,200-yard rusher in both 2008 and 2009, fourth-year TE Jermichael Finley, the team’s leading receiver through four games last season, third-year LB Brad Jones, who started five games in 2010, second-year S Morgan Burnett, the starting strong safety for the first four contests last season, and second-year DE Mike Neal, who was limited to just two games as a rookie in 2010 but figures to compete for increased time this season.

The continuity extends to the coaching staff, where almost the entire group returns for 2011 with a few changes in duties.

Edgar Bennett, who tutored the running backs for the past six seasons, moves into the role of wide receivers coach in 2011, while Jerry Fontenot, the assistant offensive line coach for the past four seasons, takes over the running backs.

John Rushing, the offensive quality control coach in 2009-10, will now serve as assistant wide receivers/special teams. Joel Hilgenberg, who worked with the Packers last year during the spring and summer as a coaching intern, will serve as the offensive quality control coach. Hilgenberg enjoyed a 10-year playing career (1984-93) as an offensive lineman with the New Orleans Saints.

MEET THE DRAFT PICKS

Training-camp storylines always hover around new players and just how they figure into the depth chart. This summer, all eyes will be on the 10 draft picks added to the club this past April, Green Bay’s largest draft class since an 11-player one in 2007. With no offseason work at Lambeau Field due to the lockout, training camp is the 2011 class’ first on-field action as Packers.

T Derek Sherrod, the first Mississippi State offensive lineman to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, was a first-team All-America selection by CBSSports.com and Rivals.com in 2010 and earned first-team All-SEC honors. He helped the Bulldogs rank second in the SEC in rushing in 2010 and first in ’09. Sherrod joined new linemate Bryan Bulaga (2010) as only the second offensive tackle to be selected in the first round by Green Bay in the past 14 drafts.

The Packers stayed in the SEC in Round 2 by selecting versatile Kentucky WR Randall Cobb in the second round. He earned first-team All-America recognition from The Associated Press, ESPN.com and SportsIllustrated.com as a junior in 2010 as an all-purpose player. Cobb set the SEC single-season record for all-purpose yards with 2,396 in 2010, topping the previous mark of 2,310 yards by Arkansas RB Darren McFadden (2007). He was the only player in FBS to rank first or second on the team in receiving, rushing and passing.

RB Alex Green, the Packers’ third-round choice, rushed for 1,199 yards and 18 TDs in 2010, ranking second in University of Hawaii history for rushing yards in a single season and tying the school mark for rushing TDs. His average of 8.2 yards per carry in 2010 ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I-A among players with 100 or more carries. Green spent his first two seasons at Butte Community College in Oroville, Calif., the same junior college that produced QB Aaron Rodgers.

In the fourth round, the Packers drafted CB Davon House, who earned first-team All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a junior and senior at New Mexico State. He finished his career ranked first in school history in INT return yardage with 319 and tied for sixth with 11 INTs. House was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list and was an honorable mention All-America selection by The NFL Draft Report in 2010.

Green Bay selected TED.J. Williams out of the University of Arkansas in the fifth round. In 2010, he became the first Razorback to win the John Mackey Award, an honor given to the nation’s top tight end. Williams also received the 2010 Disney Spirit Award, which is given to the most inspirational figure in college football. He finished his Arkansas career with 152 receptions, the second-highest total in school history and the most by a non-wide receiver.

With the first of three choices in the sixth round, the Packers picked G Caleb Schlauderaff. He earned second-team All-America honors from Walter Camp and SportsIllustrated.com and was named first-team All-Mountain West at Utah in 2010. A four-year starter, he was part of a Utes squad in 2008 that finished No. 2 in the AP’s final poll, the only team in the country to post a perfect record (13-0).

Green Bay also drafted LBD.J. Smith out of Appalachian State in the sixth round. He was one of only two players in school history to record 500 tackles in his career, joining three-time NFL Pro Bowler Dexter Coakley. Smith finished his career at ASU as the NCAA Division I FCS active leader in tackles with 525.

The Packers added another linebacker in the sixth round with the selection of Ricky Elmore from the University of Arizona. He finished his collegiate career with 25½ sacks, second in school history behind only Tedy Bruschi (52, 1992-95). Elmore led the Pac-10 in sacks in 2010 with 11, giving him 21½ over his final two seasons for the Wildcats.

With the first of two picks in the seventh round, Green Bay drafted TE Ryan Taylor from the University of North Carolina. He set a single-season school record for receptions by a tight end with 36 in 2010, and established career highs for receptions and yards in each of his final three college games. Taylor was also a key contributor on special teams, serving as a two-year captain for that unit during his Tar Heel career.

The Packers also drafted DELawrence Guy out of Arizona State in the seventh round. An early entry into the draft, he earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 recognition each of his three seasons with the Sun Devils and was part of units that led the conference and finished in the top 20 nationally in run defense in 2009 and 2010.